Using actors to simulate doctors in the continuing professional development of GP trainers and appraisers

Simulation has radically changed medical training and is set to continue to do so in the future. The branch of simulation that sees actors playing a role in training and assessment is long-established and well-developed. Typically actors have been used to play the role of patient. This innovation in communication skills teaching sees actors playing doctors (specifically GP trainees or GP appraisees), to enhance the continuing professional development of established GP trainers and appraisers. By using actors, scenarios drawing on typical encounters can be played up or down using techniques which are familiar to hi-fidelity electronic simulation. This flexibility enables the 'challenge' of the encounter to be tailored to the needs of the participants in order to maximise their learning. Feedback from participants at the workshops was positive, noting that the approach is both challenging and revealing of their own practice. More research is needed to develop this approach further and explore it's relevance to other areas of GP training and CPD.